Sea of Flowers
by daenabenjen42
Summary: A year or so after Obsessed With Flowers...  L/M
1. Chapter 1

Title: Sea of Flowers  
>Author: DaenaBenejn42<br>Characters: Luke, Mara, Ben, OC's, Han, Leia, Solo Kids  
>Timeframe: a year and a half post Obsessed With Flowers<br>Disclaimer: Star Wars still owned by Lucasfilm. All praise to 'em.  
>Notes: This is the sequel for Obsessed With Flowers... enjoy. :) <p>

* * *

><p>It was a dark and cloudy day as she sat on the bench and watched Ben play on the equipment in the play area. Mara glanced up, noting the texture of the clouds, and nodded to herself. It was going to rain today. A few more minutes, and she'd gather Ben up and start for the apartment. Something was nagging at her, and she wasn't quite certain what.<p>

A few minutes later, she stood up. "Ben! Time to go!"

Ben came over to her. "But I want to stay."

She held out a hand, smiling. "It's going to rain. That means it is time for us to go inside now."

He took her hand unenthusiastically. "Can we come back tomorrow?"

"I'll think about it."

Ben frowned as she led him to the parked speeder. She almost seemed to be laughing. That wasn't right. "What's funny?"

"I have something to tell your father," Mara told her son and she helped him into the speeder.

"Is it funny?"

Mara chuckled. "Yes and no... need to stop by a florist."

"Why?"

She didn't answer as she buckled him in and got into the speeder herself. 

* * *

><p>She sighed as she sat alone in the Academy mess hall, aimlessly stirring her food around on its tray with her fork. He hadn't called. Worse than that: he had missed her call. Their scheduled weekly call, and he missed it. It wasn't the first time, as their schedules sometimes conflicted, but usually he called the next day. He didn't, and still hadn't.<p>

She sighed again, and moved to stand up. It wouldn't do to stay here, moping for an hour and not eating anything. It was just... the day was important. Their anniversary and her lifeday fell on the same day. Today. She missed it once due to being ill, and was determined not to miss it again. And he had... darn him.

Suddenly, she felt an impossible presence and her head snapped up to look around the room. It couldn't be... could it? No. Could have been her imagination, making her feel things she wanted. She snorted indignantly to herself and shook her head. "Silly Force."

"What's so silly about it?"

She froze at the stunningly familiar voice and slowly turned to find... "Samir?" Blinking twice, she nearly fell into his arms. "You're here!"

Samir took her into his arms and they stood there, in the middle of the mess hall, not caring that people were staring at them. "Did you think I'd miss it?"

"Well no, but..." She pulled away and looked up at him. "You didn't call and I wasn't able to reach you."

He smiled down at her. "I spent three or four days in transit or I would have called, Renna."

Renna glanced around, suddenly realized that people were watching, and blushed. "Think we could take this somewhere more private?"

"I don't see why not." 

* * *

><p>Luke had just laid Riana down for a nap when Mara arrived home with Ben. "How was it?"<p>

"Fine," Mara answered as she shut the door behind them. "Got drenched between there and here."

Luke took a moment to wonder what Mara was holding in the container before bending down and helping Ben out of his jacket. "Did you have fun, Ben?"

Ben nodded. "I wanted to stay longer. Was having fun."

Luke smiled. "I'm glad you had fun." He glanced at Mara and noticed the expression in her eyes that usually meant she wanted to talk to him alone, nodded, and turned his attention back to Ben. "Go check on Riana, but don't wake her up." When Ben was safely out of earshot, Luke looked at Mara. "What is it?"

She handed him the container. "Open it."

Luke opened the container and frowned at the contents. "Flowers?"

"Yes."

Luke stared at the blossoms for several very long seconds before looking at Mara again, and had to blink when he saw she was smiling. No, more than smiling. Grinning. She never grinned like that. "I don't understand."

Slowly, she took the container out of his hands and set it on the counter. Then she guided his hand to her abdomen. "Feel."

Blinking at the gesture, Luke did as she requested. And then he understood why she was grinning. Wordlessly, he took her into his arms and they shared a kiss right there in the kitchen.

"Daddy? Ri-Ri is... wet."

They broke the kiss and turned to find Ben standing there, staring at them. Mara smiled at Luke. "I'll go see to Riana."

Luke nodded and watched her go. A baby... no wonder she'd handed him flowers. He glanced at Ben. "Are you hungry?" Ben nodded. 

* * *

><p>Renna led him to an empty classroom. "Why did you come all the way to Coruscant?"<p>

"What? I can't surprise you once in a while?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "It's cheaper to comm."

Samir laughed. "It's not the same and you know it. Besides... I wanted to do something and it couldn't be done via the holonet."

"Oh really?"

"Really." He leaned in and kissed her, and she returned the kiss. They stayed like that for a long minute, and then he pulled away. "Something like that..."

"Mmmm, I see what you mean." She blinked as he pushed one of the desks aside and got down on one knee. "What are you doing?"

"This." He pulled something out of his pocket. "Will you marry me, Renna?"

She stared at him as he held up a ring in the hand that wasn't already holding hers. "You..." There really was only one answer. "Of course." She'd been under the impression that they were as good as married already, but if he wanted to make it official, who was she to stop him? "Yes, Samir. I will marry you." 

* * *

><p>Leia had just stepped out of a late meeting, tired and upset that she'd missed dinner again on account of politics. They couldn't have waited until tomorrow? She was blearily fumbling with the codes for the speeder when another vehicle landed too close. She did not have time to get out of the way. <p>

* * *

><p>Luke blinked at the sudden sensations of pain as he finished making a snack for Ben. "Leia?"<p>

Ben jerked visibly. "She's hurt!"

Mara reentered the kitchen just in time to see Luke dash for the comm station. "Was that...?"

Luke nodded. "It was." He waited for the comm to connect, and when it did, he was speaking a mile a minute, urgent to get the information across.

"Already being done, Master Skywalker," the operator answered him calmly after a slight pause. "As we speak."

Luke turned and shared a look with Mara after the operator disconnected. They shared the same thought: _This is not good._


	2. Chapter 2

Last time, on Sea of Flowers…

_Luke blinked at the sudden sensations of pain as he finished making a snack for Ben. "Leia?"_

_Ben jerked visibly. "She's hurt!"_

_Mara reentered the kitchen just in time to see Luke dash for the comm station. "Was that...?"_

_Luke nodded. "It was." He waited for the comm to connect, and when it did, he was speaking a mile a minute, urgent to get the information across._

_"Already being done, Master Skywalker," the operator answered him calmly after a slight pause. "As we speak."_

_Luke turned and shared a look with Mara after the operator disconnected. They shared the same thought: This was not good._

And now, on Sea of Flowers…

"Go," Mara told him without hesitation. Luke blinked at her for a moment, then nodded and rushed out the door. Mara turned and looked at Ben, who was looking up at her in confusion. She could hardly blame him for that. "Let's have some dinner, then round Renna up, hmm?"

Ben nodded slowly. "Okay." 

* * *

><p>Renna's eyes widened as ripples of pain trickled through her Force senses, and she pulled out of the kiss to stare at Samir for a moment. "That wasn't you, and it definitely wasn't me."<p>

Samir frowned. "What wasn't?"

Renna took a deep breath and focused, searching the way she'd been taught... she recognized the person whose pain it was. "Oh. Come on."

Samir was still frowning as she pulled him out into the corridor. "Where?"

"To talk to Mara. Something's happened."

It wasn't the first time he'd been confused by Renna being overly cryptic. "Will there be an explanation, then?"

"Yes."

"Good." 

* * *

><p>Han was sitting in the waiting room with his head in his hands when Luke arrived. He stood there for several long moments, taking in that image. Had he himself looked that... small and exhausted? Wordlessly, Luke sat down next to him. Han glanced up and tried to crack a smile. "Hi."<p>

"You don't have to fake it for me," Luke assured him.

"Not trying to, Kid." Han sighed and sat up all the way, then tilted his head in question. "Feel anything from her?"

"Just pain and confusion," Luke told him after pausing and feeling for Leia. "I'm not sure if she's conscious or not. Have they told you anything?"

"Not yet... I left the kids with Winter."

Luke nodded and turned to look around the waiting room, suddenly sensing someone familiar. Someone who shouldn't have been within three dimensions of him, in fact. "What are the McCains doing here?"

"Hmmm?" Han followed Luke's gaze to a woman trying to read a datapad, and his eyes went wide when he recognized her. "Oh." She looked up, met his gaze, and sighed dramatically before standing up and joining them. "Didn't you go home, Elsie?"

Elsie sighed again and pocketed her datapad. "We were permanently reassigned to here."

"You weren't going to tell us," Luke said, surprising himself with the sudden insight. He hadn't gotten to know the woman well, but he did know she liked to keep to herself when she could. "Were you?"

"No, but that's a moot point now, isn't it?" She gestured to the door that led to the emergency department beside the reception window. "I called it in. Saw it happen. She's injured, but she'll live."

Han leaned closer. "What did happen?"

"Speeder landed too close, she got caught in the repulsor field and banged up against the other speeder... presumably her own, the one she was trying to unlock."

Han mulled through that explanation as he nodded slowly. "Thank you, Elsie."

She shook her head. "Don't thank me, General Solo. If I'd been on top of things, I'd have been able to prevent it in the first place. Instead, I was across the square talking to some politician."

Luke blinked at her tone. He hadn't heard Elsie speak that way before. He knew she had an ability to see things, to know more about people than she let on... was it possible she was blaming herself? It sure sounded like it.

Elsie glanced at Luke and shook her head. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Try to tell me that I am not to blame."

Luke was preempted by someone coming out into the waiting room, and he turned to find Iris standing there with pursed lips. "Iris?"

"Captain Solo? You can come back now." Iris took a good look at Elsie and then looked directly at Luke. "Explain it to her, would you?" Luke nodded, and Iris led Han back to the Emergency Department.

Elsie suddenly chuckled a little. "Leave it to Iris."

"What?"

"You don't have to lecture me on guilt, Master Jedi. She just did."

"She didn't say anything."

"It was in her eyes," Elsie said as she stood up and greeted Chris with a warm hug. "What kept you?"

"Had to fill out all the forms again and Darvis wanted three copies of everything, including a signed affitdavit that specifically states we are not leaving ever again," Chris told her, then flashed a comforting smile at Luke as they sat down.

"A signed what?" Luke wondered.

"Basically a sworn statement in very legal phrasing. I think he missed us."

"I'm sure he did," Elsie told him as she watched Mara enter the waiting room with a woman and a man in tow whom she'd not seen before. There was a similarity between Mara and the woman that was uncanny...

Mara saw Elsie and immediately glared at her, and Elsie winced. "You knew."

Luke stood up, knowing that if he didn't stop her, they were going to have a very public and messy scene right there in the waiting room. "Mara, now is not the time. Where are Ben and Riana?"

"With Winter," Mara told him. Then she caught herself, realizing that she was more upset than she otherwise would have been had she not known that Elsie had kept things from her intentionally. "I think we're overburdening her, but she commed and volunteered after Han left the kids with her and Tycho."

Elsie slowly sat down and looked at the floor as the others all took seats. "I knew? About?"

"Luke's right. We'll talk about it later." Mara tapped her on the shoulder and smiled when Elsie looked at her, gesturing at the two people she didn't recognize. "I'd like you to meet my sister Renna and her boyfriend Samir."

Elsie blinked in surprise, looked at them, and smiled when she saw the ring on Renna's finger. "Pleased to meet you both."

Renna frowned. "Mara, is this the woman you told us about? The one who told you not to be surprised about possibly having family out there?"

Mara turned and stared at her. "Yes. I didn't tell you that."

"You told mom. I, uh..."

Samir laughed. "I know you, Renna. You overheard it and thought you dreamed it."

Luke glanced at Chris, suddenly realizing why seeing Samir and Renna interact often gave him a sense of déjà vu. "As interesting as this is, I'm more concerned about Leia right now."

"She'll be fine," Renna told him after a moment, then blinked and covered her mouth. "I mean..."

"I know what you mean," Luke told her. He was filled with a sense of relief at her words, however. "And I thought you'd been practicing control?"

"That is an example of control," Elsie spoke up, then looked at Mara. "Did you tell your sister yet or are you waiting for her to guess?"

Chris suddenly burst into a chuckle. "Two? Seriously? That's just too much."

"Waiting for me to guess what?" Renna wondered. She waited a beat, scrutinized Chris. "Two of what?"

Mara sighed. "Can't I keep secrets for once around you, Elsie?"

"No."

Renna was still looking at Chris, waiting for an answer. "Really, now. Two of what?"

"Seers. You just don't see the same thing in the same way," Chris explained as he nudged Elsie's knee. "At least Dawn isn't here. Then it'd be three."

Elsie snorted. "That'd be something. We'd drive everyone batty with spoken shorthand all day long."

"Am I supposed to be guessing something?" Renna wondered again.

Mara shook her head. "There is nothing to guess." Luke chided her with his eyes, and she shook her head again. Now was not the time.

"Sure there isn't," Elsie put in with a smirk.

Luke glanced at Elsie, suddenly realizing that she was taking the attention of off herself on purpose. And of course she knew Mara was pregnant... she saw the present in people. Something to do with something called a bioshadow and being able to read it, or something... that part, he still wasn't all that clear on. "I wouldn't push it too far, Elsie. Mara's not above making people wear flowered clothing in retribution."

"Flowered what?" The sudden intrusion of a voice of a person not in their circle made them all look up and notice that Iris had returned. "How come I didn't hear about that one, Mara?"

"You missed it," Mara told her. "Be glad."

Iris shrugged at that response and motioned to the door, and looked at Luke. "He wanted me to tell you what we're doing. She's not very alert right now and will be in Bacta very shortly."

"Can I see her before you put her in," Luke asked.

Iris shook her head. "They're doing it as we speak, so no. After, definitely." She turned to go, then stopped and looked at Elsie. "You have nothing to feel guilty of."

"I don't?"

"Not one thing. Understand?" At Elsie's slow nod, Iris smiled and disappeared back into the ER.

Puzzled, Mara glanced around, noticing that the waiting room had emptied out, save for them. "Oh. So that's why she told us out here."

"We're a scary group," Elsie muttered as she allowed Chris to take her hand. "People tend to avoid abnormality more than embrace it, even here. I used to think it was a curse, but now it's kinda fun to watch as people balk at odd behavior and make excuses to be somewhere else." She paused for a long moment, then looked at Chris curiously. "I could go for some caf. How about you?"

Mara shook her head. "No. Not caf."

Elsie's eyes widened as she realized what it was she'd said to a pregnant woman. "Oh, you're right. Not caf. Tea, then?"

"All right, what's so..." Renna trailed off, suddenly remembering the plaque in the Academy cafeteria. "Oh, I get it. No caf unless it's the Academy Mess Hall." At Samir's frown, Renna smiled. "Their caf maker is dedicated to someone." Luke knew that wasn't the reason, but who was he to tell her otherwise if Mara wanted to keep it quiet for the time being?

Samir looked at Mara, still frowning. "You won't..."

"It's personal," Mara told him as she stood up, though she was somewhat puzzled by the connection that Renna had made. Not drinking caf because of the plaque at the Academy? "And yes, Elsie. Tea is fine."

"Shall we adjourn to the cafeteria, then?" Elsie asked playfully.

Mara nodded, she took Luke's arm, and they followed everyone else out of the waiting room. She leaned into him as they walked, her eyes scanning the corridors. "Who are you looking for, Mara?"

"Our daughter," she answered in a low and wary voice.

"Why?"

"Elsie's here, Neesta can't be far behind."

Luke stifled a chuckle, knowing she was right. And, inside, he was grateful for the stress relief. He could feel Leia's pain from here and he sorely wished that they'd let him go back and see her. Elsie turned and looked back at him, studying him for a moment, then nudged Chris and brushed past them, seemingly on a mission. "Where is she going?"

"To check on Leia for you," Chris told him as they entered the cafeteria. He turned back, watched as she rounded a corner, and shook his head in amusement. "I'm surprised at her restraint today. Usually, about now, she 'ports to get the answers she wants."

Mara frowned at him. "What?"

"Part of her ability... she turns invisible."

"So that's why Officer Melyan missed the two of you," Luke realized suddenly. "An ability like that is valuable."

"Yes, it is, but that's not why he missed us. Without us around, he's bored." Chris shrugged, jumping a little as Elsie suddenly appeared out of thin air, looking a little perturbed. "So much for the restraint... Well?"

"Nothing a little bacta and a healing trance won't fix," Elsie told him as she put a hand on Luke's shoulder. "You, Master Jedi, are coming with me. Iris should have let you back when you asked."

"What?"

"I can see her in your aura. Her pain, just like you can feel it. You are her twin, and Iris forgot that detail. When I reminded her of it, she told me to hightail it back here and get you... also something about flying medical instruments and wanting to avoid it."

Luke glanced at Mara, eyebrows raised. "I don't recall you making medical instruments fly around here on Coruscant."

"She meant you and in general," Elsie told him.

"Ah... why would I do that?"

"You want to wonder about traumatic situations or see to your sister?"

"Leia."

Mara watched them vanish, and then looked at Chris. "Is this a normal day for you?"

"You've yet to see normal for us," he deadpanned. "Close, though."

Renna frowned at them as they joined her and Samir at the table they'd picked. "Where..."

"Elsie took Luke to see Leia," Mara told her. "Don't ask me to explain it." 

* * *

><p>Iris knew she shouldn't have been surprised by Elsie suddenly appearing out of thin air, but that didn't stop her from feeling that way when she did it now with Luke in tow. "Did you really have to do that?"<p>

"Was the quickest way to solve this," Elsie told her with a pained smile as she let go of the Jedi Master who was blinking in bewilderment at the sudden change in venue. "Sorry about that. The first time is always the worst."

Luke shook his head. "Is that what you see all the time? It's... so much."

She sighed. "And now you know why I had a nervous breakdown and lived in the snow for ten years. It's a lot to take in, but also kind of like your Force abilities. You sense what others do not, just like I do, but in a different way."

Luke nodded. "Talk about it later?"

"Definitely."

He turned to look at Iris. "Where is she?"

Iris looked at Elsie. "You don't have to stay, kiddo."

Elsie glanced around, smiling when she saw something she'd been expecting for half the afternoon. "Only you can get away with calling me a kid, Iris... And Luke?"

"What?"

"Mara was right. She wasn't far behind." And with another smile, Elsie vanished again.

Luke blinked, then turned to Iris, who nodded and led him to the bacta tank where Leia was floating while Han stood there watching her. He put a hand to the transparisteel and focused on her, hoping it would work from a distance like this. Leia's eyes slowly tracked to him and she seemed to focus, and Luke held her gaze, silently asking if she would let him lead her into a healing trance. She agreed and soon her eyes drooped closed. Luke sighed in relief. "Han?"

"Good work, kid."

"You're not going to ask."

"It's a Force thing, right?"

"Right."

"Then no, I'm not going to ask."

Luke turned, suddenly came face-to-face with his very translucent daughter, and had to blink. "Um..." Neesta smiled, nodded once, and vanished.

Han put a hand on his shoulder. "Luke?"

"Busy day," Luke finally told him, for lack of anything else to say. He couldn't very well tell Han that he'd just seen a ghost, now could he?

Han led him to some chairs and they sat down to watch Leia as she floated in the bacta. "I know what you mean..." 


	3. Chapter 3

Six years ago, elsewhere in the multiverse...

"Officer Darvis Melyan?

He was just sitting down at his desk in the squad room when an uncertain feminine voice demanded his attention. Darvis turned to find a woman he didn't recognize wearing a gray tunic and black pants, and staring at him as if she could have bored a hole right through him with just her eyes. "Can I help you?"

She smiled slightly. "I have some questions for you, sir."

"All right... what about? And what am I supposed to call you?"

"My name is Elsie." She set a datapad on his desk. "And I need to know about something that happened in the Corellian system. It's... weird, I know."

He studied the information presented on the small screen and then frowned at her. "Why do you want to know about pirates who were caught, tried, and sentenced more than five years ago?"

Elsie blinked at him, as if she didn't believe her ears. "Come again?"

"They were caught."

Suddenly, she relaxed and smiled. "Thank you. That's what I needed to know. And I'm glad."

"You didn't answer my question, miss."

She just looked at him for a long moment before gesturing for the datapad. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Darvis. Trust me on that."

"Oh? I've seen a lot in my time," Darvis told her as he gave the requested item back to her. "And I like stories."

Elsie hesitated as she started to walk away, then looked at him again with raised eyebrows. "This one had a happy ending. For all that would have been involved. Even you. And that's all I can say about it."

Darvis was left frowning as she walked away into the controlled chaos that was the squad room. If it had a happy ending, why had she been worried in the first place? It was just one more thing on a long list of things that didn't make sense.

* * *

><p>Four years ago...<p>

* * *

><p>Luke noticed the door they'd been decorating for the baby open as he walked down the hallway to their bedroom. He frowned and looked in to find Mara slowly cleaning up a mess. "What happened in here? It..." His frown deepened when she barely glanced at him and shook her head. "Mara?"<p>

Mara shook her head again and continued to carefully pick things up that had been strewn all over the place. "Just be glad that nothing is broken... that there wasn't really anything to break. Just soft things, and this." She held up a drawer to show him. Other than being where it wasn't supposed to be, and having inexplicable scratches across the surface, the drawer was intact.

"I don't understand," Luke said as he entered and watched her put the small drawer back in the dresser.

Mara sighed. "It's not important, Luke."

"Did you..."

"No."

Catching her between tasks, Luke pulled her into his arms. He didn't need to know what had happened or why it was upsetting, just that she was upset meant something. "It's all right."

"Is it?" Mara pulled away slightly to look up at him. "Really?"

Something in her question startled him, and holding her now he could feel how upset she was. "Of course it is, Mara." She stared into his eyes for long moments before nodding and letting herself relax into his arms again. "Why do you ask?"

"We had a talk," she mumbled into his chest. "Neesta and I. She was upset... and that's why there's a mess."

Luke looked around the room for a long moment, understanding only now what he was seeing. How upset their daughter must have been, how upset Mara was now. It made sense suddenly, what she'd asked. "Is she still here?"

"No."

"Would you like some help cleaning up?"

"Just hold me, Luke. It can wait a while."

Quietly, he led her from the room. As she'd said, it really could wait a while.

* * *

><p>Days ago...<p>

* * *

><p>Samir stood on the Jaden front porch, knowing very well that he could have gone inside without knocking or ringing the door chime. He perferred to do this right, and that meant standing here like, feeling like an idiot.<p>

Barely a minute later, the door opened to reveal Widia. She stared at him for a moment before smiling in amusement. "The door wasn't locked, Samir. And you could have gone around back."

"No."

"Really..."

"Can I come in? There's something I need to ask you."

Still smiling, Widia stepped aside to allow him entry. There had to be a good explanation for why he'd shown up in his best clothes, and she wanted to hear it. She led him to the kitchen and the both sat down. "So. To what do I own the pleasure of your visit, hmmm?"

"I came here today to ask for your blessing," Samir told her solemnly. "I would have ordinarily approached her father, your husband, but..."

Widia held up a hand, both forestalling him from finishing that painful sentence, and also curious. Did he remember what day this was? That this was the anniversary of the end of the Naboo rebellion, if not the rebellion as a whole? She had a pretty good idea what he was trying to ask, but wanted to hear him say it. "My blessing? For?"

"I want to marry Renna."

Slowly, Widia turned and glanced at one of the few surviving holos of her husband that she kept in the kitchen. There hadn't been much, just what they'd been able to take with them, and the resistance wasn't big on doing things that could get everybody killed by association, so taking holo's had not been high the list of things to do. Not even to mark a birthday. What would he have said in this situation? Widia wanted to believe that he would have said what she was about to. Turning back to Samir, she studied him curiously. "You waited a long time to ask, Samir."

"It was worth the wait."

She could find no fault in that statement. "You have it."

"What?"

"Provided she says yes, you may marry my daughter."

Samir let out the breath he hadn't quite realized he'd been holding in. "Thank you. Now I just need to ask her."

"Do it in person," Widia advised helpfully.

"She's still on Coruscant."

"And?" Internally, Widia was laughing at his slightly down-trodden expression, knowing that teasing him would definitely not be good.

"Nothing. Just a fact which isn't really an obstacle."

Widia glanced again at the holo, and at last made up her mind about something. "I'm going with you."

"Why?" Samir wondered with an intrigued frown.

There were many reasons, but chief among them... "I want to see my grandchildren." Because, really, stories told her second hand by an overly excited translucent child were not the same as actually being there.

Now it was Samir's turn to nod in understanding.

* * *

><p>Yesterday...<p>

* * *

><p>Elsie stared out the window of their newly re-moved-into apartment, unable to shake the feeling that they were missing something. Something important. Was it the day? She calculated in her head... no, that couldn't be it. Unless something was supposed to happen and she was just jittery because it didn't. "That doesn't make any sense."<p>

"What doesn't?" Chris asked from the doorway.

She turned to look at him. "Having a feeling... does droids exploding mean anything to you? Because I keep coming up with bubkiss."

Chris frowned in thought, then pulled out a datapad. "It might." He blinked at something he saw on the datapad. "This is 13 years after the first Death Star was destroyed."

Elsie frowned at him, not making the connection to what that meant. "And?"

Chris shook his head. "That's why you're getting that feeling, Dusty. Droids blew up. Injured a lot of people."

Elsie crossed the living room to get a look at what he was reading. What she was left her blinking, startled. "And that's why I'm jittery. Something was supposed to happen, or did happen, but not here because things are different. And Kueller isn't Kueller here. He's Dolph and his parents are fine. So nothing, nada, blew up. Only... If nothing is going to happen, at all, why am I still feeling like it's going to?"

Chris handed the datapad to her and shrugged as she studied the data. "You can go to the senate tomorrow and scope things out."

"No, we're supposed to meet with Darvis to fill out paperwork."

"That doesn't require both of us," he said as she handed the datapad back to him and their eyes met. "You go, I'll handle the paperwork."

"Sweetie, are you actually telling me to skip out on work and go talk to politicians?"

"Yes. You'll be absolutely impossible otherwise."

Elsie laughed. "Then skip out, I shall. Can't promise I'll be having fun, though."

"Politics is fun?"

"According to Susan, it can be. I think she's been watching C-SPAN too much again or something." They sunk down onto the couch together. "But that's tomorrow. Not here and now."

Chris motioned toward the window. "Here?"

"One way glass," she told him, smirking.

"I'm a grandfather, you know."

"Come here, Grandpa." The passion of the kiss she laid on him made him not want to leave the couch for a good long while.

* * *

><p>Hours ago...<p>

* * *

><p>As they disembarked from the ship, Widia nudged him. "Go on. Find her."<p>

"But we just got here, Widia," Samir protested.

"So? Go on. I'll meet up with you two later. Besides, I used to live here... a very long time ago."

Samir stared at her. "You're going sightseeing while I propose to your daughter?"

"Not exactly. More exploring than sightseeing." Widia smiled at him, shaking her head as he continued to stare at her. "And if you need me to say it again, I'll break my vow and spank you with invisible Force hands."

With a final exasperated sigh, Samir went. And Widia was left to smirk after him, wondering how they'd managed to fall in love in the first place. 

* * *

><p>Chris handed the flimsy forms back to Darvis, chuckling. "The affidavit is a bit much."<p>

"I want you two to stay this time."

"Got that part, Darvis."

"Good. I'm glad you're clear on it. Anything interesting happen at home?"

Chris nodded. "Our third grandchild was born last month. They named her Cynthia Destiny."

Dravis frowned at how tight-lipped the other man was. Something was off. "There's more, isn't there?"

Chris looked away, trying to consider his words carefully. "The... Senior Field Leader that was our supervisor died right before we left. Hadn't talked to Major... Colonel Walker in a while, so it came as a surprise."

"Who?"

"He was the one who basically babysat Elsie and I when we were trainees."

"Oh. Sorry to hear about his passing." And then Dravis frowned. "Third... grandchild? You..."

"Don't look near old enough? I know." Chris shrugged. "Chalk it up to oddness."

"Right... I think I will." Darvis was going to say more, but a very strange six note alarm when off, startling them both. "What was that?"

"Being paged," Chris told him as he pressed a button. "Elsie, please tell me nothing blew up."

The voice that responded sounded a little more than shaken. ["No. Nothing blew up. Meet me at Coruscant Medical Center, Senate District."]

Darvis frowned again. "Was she afraid something was going to blow up?"

"You want me to give you a straight answer?"

"Not really, no."

Chris motioned to the flimsies laying on the desk. "We done?"

"Until your wife can fill her own out, yes. Go meet her. And Chris?"

"What?"

"Don't ever leave for a year again."

Chris smiled. "The only way you're getting rid of us is if there's an interdimensional emergency. And even then, not for very long."

"Glad to hear it." 

* * *

><p>Winter opened the door to find a woman with red, graying hair and an anxious expression standing there wringing her hands. "Can I help you?"<p>

"I hope so," the woman said, timidly. "I stopped by Renna's apartment to wait for her to get home with Samir and got Mara's message about the kids being here with you. You... are Winter, right?" At Winter's frown, the woman hesitantly held out her hand, which Winter took slowly. "Sorry. I'm Widia Jaden. Didn't mean to startle you like that when you don't know me from Palpatine."

Winter's eyes widened as she studied the woman for long moments... someone she'd only heard about in passing from Mara and Luke. "Oh. Yes, they're here. Isn't this a long way from Naboo?"

"Samir needed moral support and I wanted to see my grandchildren."

"Samir?"

"Hopefully, by now, Renna's fiance."

Winter had only just stepped aside to allow Widia entry when a little person attached themselves to Widia's leg. "Grandma!"

Widia shared a startled humorous look with Winter before reaching down and prying Ben off her leg and picking him up to hold him close. "Hey there, little one. Careful next time, all right? You could have knocked me over."

"Aunt Leia hurt," he told her without preamble.

Widia nodded as she stepped inside and allowed Winter to close the door. "I know."

"Will she get better?"

That question gave her pause, for it was something unexpected from someone so young. "Yes. What do you feel?"

"Less pain. Like sleeping.," Ben told her after thinking about it for a moment. Widia had to force herself not to sigh in relief or chuckle. Even worried, he was cute. "Daddy helped her!"

"Well, if your Daddy helped, then I think she's going to be okay. Don't you?"

Ben nodded vigorously. "Yes!"

Widia smiled, hugged him a little more, and then set him down on his feet on the floor. "So what have you been doing here with Winter, hmm?" She let him pull her along to the family room, all the while feeling from the woman behind her a profound sense of relief... and thankfulness.


	4. Chapter 4

Things had been odd for a long time for Widia Jaden. From her long lost and kidnapped daughter showing up on her doorstep with a husband and a young son, to the baby being born in the guest room, to now, listening to Ben talk as he led her to the main room of Winter's apartment. She'd gotten used to the unsettling nature of oddness, or at least she thought she had. How normal was it for a translucent hyperactive child to regularly drop in and chat a while? She knew it wasn't, not in the least... which was why seeing Neesta having what appeared to be a tea party with the twins only made her pause momentarily and watch them. Then she turned and looked at Winter. "Can I talk to you a moment?"

Winter, confused at the change in direction, nodded. "About what?"

"Have the twins had an invisible imaginary friend for long?"

Winter frowned at her, then looked over Widia's shoulder into the room and saw the twins seated at the caf table, playing with a tea set. One cup was, as usual, floating in the air by itself. "Actually... yes." She'd gotten the play tea set out earlier when everything happened, hoping to find something, anything to occupy three, and later four, children. Anakin and Ben didn't have much interest in it, but the twins... for some reason, they were.

"When did it start?"

"You see Neesta, Grandma?" Ben asked suddenly, pulling at her hand.

Winter looked down at Ben, then at Widia again. "I'm not certain. Who?"

Widia sighed. Of all the... It did make perfect sense, though. Ben's senses were good, but not THAT good. "Long story of long stories. Her name, as Ben just said, is Neesta, and she's in trouble now."

"Why?" Ben asked with all the curiosity of a four year old.

Widia bent down to look him in the eyes, knowing he wouldn't understand fully. "It's a grown up thing, Sweetie. And there are rules."

"Oh. Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

Widia stared at him, half-tempted to start laughing at the innocence of the question. "Let me worry about the whys, all right?" She stood up again and entered the room. "Neesta, you know better. And go visible completely so Winter can see you."

Neesta, now fully outed, heaved an unneeded sigh, and faced her grandmother. "I didn't scare anyone, I helped and relayed information about a family member, and I made friends! Momma's not going to be mad at me for that!" She turned and set the tea cup down before losing her concentration further and dropping it.

Winter blinked as she saw a little girl suddenly appear out of nothingness. Then she frowned... the girl bore a striking resemblance to Mara and Luke. And that's when she understood what Widia meant. "Oh."

Widia felt like rolling her eyes at Neesta's explanation. "Oh really?"

"I didn't scare anyone," Neesta reminded her.

"Clinging to that small bit of logic doesn't make you any less grounded, young lady."

Jaina raised a hand. "She can get grounded just like we can?"

"Yes, Jaina, she can. And she is. And she knows why." Glancing down at Ben, Wida sighed. "Is that how Ben knows that your mother is all right?"

If Neesta could have blushed, she would have done so, all the way to the roots of her intangible red-blonde hair as Jacen nodded in the affirmative. "I watched Daddy help her... and I think I spooked him because I forgot he can see me now and I stuck around too long."

"Seems to be a theme today," Widia remarked as Neesta jumped suddenly as if someone had clamped a hand onto her shoulder. "That your grandfather?"

"Yes. Hi grandpa!"

"Good. Now you know how grounded you are."

"Didn't do anything wrong!" When Widia's eyebrows went up, Neesta winced. "Twisting of the rules counts?"

"Yes. It. Does."

"Oh." Neesta turned and addressed thin air. "Do I have to go now, Grandpa Ani?" At what must have been his answer, her shoulders drooped. "Fine. Will I be ungrounded? ...what do you mean 'only if you earn it'? Not fair!"

Widia chuckled as Neesta faded from sight with an enraged shriek, and turned to look at Winter. "She wasn't supposed to do something, obviously. That being, talk to the kids."

"Why not?" Jaina wondered. "She's nice and has been our friend since we were three." When Widia turned to look at her with wide eyes, Jaina frowned. "What?"

"Since you were three?"

Jacen nodded. "Yes. She just showed up one day, wanting to play."

Widia sat down on the couch and pulled Ben into her lap. "So you knew she was there, but Mara didn't know you knew, so there's been a whole lot of sneaking around? Wonderful."

Winter sat down next to them. "I don't remember Mara and Luke having..." At Widia's sudden horrified expression, Winter blinked. So it wasn't her imagination, then. There really was more going on here than rule breaking.

"I know," Ben told his grandmother suddenly. "Who she is."

"Oh?" Widia asked him warily.

"Family," he said simply.

Widia smiled, appreciating that answer. "Yes, Ben. Family."

* * *

><p>The tension was palpable as Elsie sat at the medium-sized rounded table in the hospital cafeteria with her husband holding her hand like an anchor. She concentrated on the gray table top, dimly listening as Mara's sister, Renna, and her man-friend who was fairly obviously more than a friend, talked and tried to give the illusion of normality.<p>

After long minutes of listening to them and avoiding Mara's steady gaze, Elsie finally decided they were really good at it. And then there was Mara... apparently upset at her but not saying a word because now really was not the time.

Chris squeezed her hand in silent support and Elsie was reminded that maybe now also wasn't the time to dwell and let her guard down. It was, after all, a hospital... lots of undirected psychic miasma floating around. Were she to let her guard down, bad things, like having a breakdown, could follow. She glanced at him in silent question and he jerked his head in the direction of a bunch of tables to their left. Looking over, she frowned. How odd that Neesta hadn't come up to them and was hanging back...

Just as she was about to point this out to Mara, an older woman arrived, pulled up a chair, and sat down at their table. Elsie blinked at the sudden nonchalantness of it. "Who are you?"

The woman ignored her and instead looked directly at Mara. "Your daughter is grounded."

Mara tilted her head, now rather amused. "What did Riana do? She's a year old, mother."

Elsie glanced again at Neesta, still hanging out about six tables away from them. She'd gained an escort... who was glowering down at her. "I don't think she means Riana."

Widia nodded. "No. I mean Neesta."

Mara sighed. "Oh... and why is my translucent child grounded?"

"I caught her having a tea party with the twins," the woman explained. "After Ben told me, without having had any contact from anyone here according to Winter, that Luke helped Leia with the Force." She nodded to Samir and smiled at Renna. "You said yes, right?"

Renna nodded. "Of course."

"Good."

Mara looked directly at Elsie. "Is she here?"

"Yep. Escorted. And no, you'll not be the one to talk to her." Elsie looked at the older woman as Mara sputtered in surprise. "Did she tell them anything?"

"No... Who are you?"

Elsie gave a pained smile and held out her hand. "Elsie Trent-McCain, Coruscant Planetary Police Force. I was in the wrong place at the right time, or else I'd be at headquarters right now annoying my new superior with donut references that he doesn't really get."

The woman stared hard at Elsie for a moment before turning to Mara. "Who is this?"

"A friend who owes me an explanation."

"Do not." As Mara glared at her, Elsie winced. "Or maybe I do... What is Neesta grounded for?"

"Bending the rules," the woman told her, and then took hold of Elsie's hand. "Widia Jaden."

Elsie blinked at the contact, suddenly understanding a little more about why Mara might suddenly be upset with her. "Oh." She glanced at Chris as Widia released her grip. "Think we should tell Wildcat?"

"No."

Mara frowned at her. "I remember that name. Something about an interrupted vacation and checking in a lot afterward?"

Elsie chuckled as she stood up. "Yeah. Next time we have a wild plan where things blow up had better be a planned building demolition, or Wildcat will be very cranky. And trust me, you don't want a woman whose animal form is a Panther cranky." She pecked Chris on the cheek and stopped him from joining her. "Stay. Need to talk to the kid alone."

"But-"

"Yes, I know it's a hospital. Yes, I know my senses are wonky from temporal dimensional jetlag. I'm fine." She squeezed his hand firmly. "Promise."

Chris watched her go, frustrated that she hadn't let him get a word in edgewise. He noticed Mara starting to get up out of her chair to follow and put a hand out to stop her. "Mara, when Elsie says she needs to do it alone, it's best to let her do it. She knows the child nearly as well as you do, and you are too close to the situation to be objective right now."

Mara stared at him for a long moment before sitting back down. "I keep forgetting that you two aren't really that young. It's disconcerting."

"So I've been told," Chris said wryly. He looked at Samir. "Still want to join this family?"

"Without hesitation," Samir replied a smile as he took Renna's hand and held it. He frowned suddenly. "Is Neesta the see-through little girl who startled Torath and I when we were rushing to finish the baby's room?"

Still finding that memory funny, Mara had to force herself not to laugh. "Yes. She wanted to help."

"Oh, she did. Torath and Alena liked her work later." At Chris's inquiring expression, Samir smiled again. "She did a kind of splash and line pattern that looked really interesting and neat dry, and sort of resembled tangled branches."

As Chris and Samir started to compare painting experiences, Mara looked at Renna and asked silently: _"So he really did propose? And you said yes?"_

Renna's 1000 watt smile was answer enough.

* * *

><p>Iris sighed as she turned to the two men and looked at them, sitting on a bench and watching the woman in the bacta tank together. She almost didn't want to make them go. "I'm kicking you both out of here, right now."<p>

Han turned his head and looked at her, almost taken aback. "What? Why?"

"We have to get her out of the tank and transferred to a bed, General. None of that is taking place with you present." She looked at Luke. "Take him to dinner, please?"

Luke nodded. "Will do. Come on Han, everyone else is waiting for us in the cafeteria." Han appeared about ready to protest. "You and Leia took care of me last time, now it's my turn. And Leia would make you go, too. You know that."

Han looked at the tank his wife was currently in, took in the flat resolve on Iris's face, and nodded. He didn't like it, leaving like this. But... he didn't have to. "All right." He allowed Luke to drag him there by the arm.

Iris watched them go before turning back to regard the tank with a smile. 

* * *

><p>It wasn't often she allowed herself to go somewhere unescorted inside a hospital complex, but for this... she couldn't do this with other people watching. Entering the hospital chapel, Elsie sat down uncomfortably in one of the provided chairs. She didn't need to be completely open to know that people had sat in here for long hours seeking guidance and comfort. It was a given, even in another dimension with diverse religious teachings and beliefs, that someone would need somewhere to go and to pray, and to be alone for a while.<p>

She was glad it was empty for the time being. "Neesta? If you and your escorts are still hanging around, now's the time." Slowly, reluctantly, the shape of a little girl faded into existence as Elsie sat down and studied her with raised eyebrows. "Hey there."

Neesta had the grace to appear sheepish. "Hi."

Elsie glanced to her left and wasn't surprised to see not one, but three other ghosts present. Two were expected, the third... wasn't, really. Temaru Jaden. Anakin Skywalker. Biggs Darklighter. "I take it she's really grounded, hmmm?"

Temaru nodded. "She really is."

"I just wanted to help!" Neesta told him, only to wince when her other grandfather glared at her.

Elsie waved them off. "Let me talk to her alone, guys. This is a girl thing."

"It is?" Biggs asked.

"It really, really is." Elsie watched as they left in their own way before turning back to turn her own icy glare on Neesta. "Well, Little Needle? Now's your chance."

"Will I still be grounded?"

"Yes. But... perhaps some honesty will lessen the charge, hmm?" Elsie waited until Neesta looked her in the eyes. "Why did you bend the rules?"

Neesta heaved an unneeded sigh. "Which time?"

"All."

Neesta shrugged. "You were busy with a case the first time, and it was harmless. I didn't tell, they didn't know who I was, and I'd never talked to people my own age before."

"Jacen and Jaina are three years older than you would have been," Elsie reminded her gently. "And don't try telling me it's all relative, either. I also fail to see how my having been on a case at the time has anything to do with it. I'm always on some kind of case." She took a moment to stare hard at the translucent child. "Like now, for instance. This is a case."

Neesta winced again. "It was something new and different that became fun? I got to talk to kids! They didn't know who I was... they didn't look at me the way Momma and you do sometimes. Like Dot did when you whispered in her ear."

Elsie stared at her, suddenly getting it, what Neesta was trying to say without having the words to really illustrate her point. "Ah. They made you feel like you belong. Come here, child."

Neesta came closer and Elsie concentrated before putting a glowing hand on her shoulder and making contact. Neesta blinked up at Elsie, bewildered at the sensation. "What are you..." She didn't get the chance to complete the question because she was swept into a memory.

_"Didn't we just leave Coruscant, like weeks ago? How could the portal just drop us off here again?"_

_"Ordinarily, it can't," Ralarna muttered. "And the first time was kind of a random accident. Kind of." A gasp stopped them in their tracks, and everyone turned to look at Elsie, who was standing stock still. "Elsie?"_

_"Oh wow," the shock in her voice, combined with the expression of incredulity on her face, made everybody frown and follow her line of sight._

_"What's so shocking about that woman and the kid with her?" Melinda asked, puzzled. "They look perfectly normal to me." She turned back to Elsie to find that she'd collapsed into Chris' arms. "Uhh..."_

_Chris slowly lowered Elsie to the ground, glancing up at Ranko when he got her all the way down. "She never does that... and there's nothing here that would explain it, either." Unless... he scanned the area, and found that the woman had picked up the child and was heading straight for them. He blinked at the sudden familiarity. But it couldn't be... could it?_

_Ranko knelt down beside him and began to check Elsie out for herself, when a voice interrupted her, asking if she needed help. She looked up, saw the competency in the other woman's eyes, and nodded. "She seems fine, but another opinion is always good."_

_Just then, Elsie gasped and sat up, blinking at them. She glanced at Chris. "Sorry."_

_"Don't be. Could have happened to anyone," Chris told her. "I was about to break out the smelling salts, though."_

_"Ugh..." Elsie turned her attention to the woman who had joined them, and her eyes widened. "Ailee?"_

_Ailee frowned. "How do you know my name? I didn't say..."_

_Elsie turned her attention to the child sitting on her haunches next to Ailee, and had to stare. "Ranko?"_

_"What?"_

_"This isn't the same place. It really, really isn't." She moved to get up, but Ailee shook her head. "I'm fine, all right? You don't need to go all medic on me."_

_"Let me be the judge of that." Ailee pulled out a pen light. "Follow this with your eyes, please? Up, down, to the side... other side. Thank you. Now... how many fingers?"_

_"Two."_

_"Good. You can get up now if you want to."_

_Elsie rolled her eyes and got up. Was it just possible that the woman was more annoying alive than she was dead? "Thanks."_

_Ailee glanced down at the little girl. "Well, munchkin? Still want to go to Ewok Fun Land after this?"_

_The little girl nodded. "Yes! I wanna go, Ailee!"_

_"Then we will go... after I found out how you know my name, ma'am." She looked hard at Elsie, who glanced at Chris. "And what do you mean by this not being the same place as before?"_

_Elsie shook her head. "It's a long story, and I'd rather not say."_

_Ailee glanced around, sighing. "Great." She bent down to look the little girl in the eyes. "Do you mind if we put it off an hour or two, Neesta?"_

_At that, Chris got it. "We took a left turn at Albuquerque, didn't we? Wow..."_

_Ariel laughed. "Chris, that explanation only works for Bugs Bunny."_

_Ralarna glanced down at the Frisbee in her hand, and smirked. "Oddly appropriate, though." _

Neesta blinked as the images faded. "What was that?"

"Something unexpected," Elsie told her with a smile. She was glad that Chris had talked her through what happened when she fainted... "And my way of telling you that you, sweet and dear child, belong."

"You fainted."

"I was really, really shocked at the time." Elsie released Neesta's spectral shoulder and just looked at her for a long moment, evaluating with her eyes. "And speaking of Dot... weren't you supposed to be thinking up better outfits than the brown jumpsuit?"

Neesta rolled her eyes. "I like my jumpsuit."

"And?"

"Still don't see the point."

Elsie had to give her that one... what was the point, if the clothes weren't real? "Just trying to drive my point home, here. Changes of clothes, occasionally? Also lend a feeling of belonging. And you can do that now."

Neesta took a moment to stare up at Elsie. "It's that simple?"

"It really is. So don't try to tell me that you don't feel like you belong. You do."

A long pause. "Does that mean I'm still grounded?"

"Yes." 

* * *

><p>Mara had expected to see Elsie walk back into the cafeteria and calmly explain that she'd told Neesta in no uncertain terms what was what. Instead, she was treated to the somewhat comical spectacle of her husband practically ordering his brother-in-law to sit down and eat something.<p>

Luke looked at Mara when he'd finally convinced Han to sit and at least stare at the tray of food in front of him. "Iris ordered us away."

"Ah... Did she threaten either of you with Jello?" After all... a little humor in a crisis never hurt.

Han frowned at Mara, utterly confused by that. "Huh?"

"I'll take that as a no," Mara said as she glanced at her confused mother. "Iris was my nurse once after I hadn't eaten much in a while, they refused to let me have solids, and it was a day or two of a liquid diet that included Jello. Lots of it."

Luke shook his head, amused that she'd bring that up. "Mara, that was six years ago."

"And?" She waited for him to come up with a retort, but they were both distracted when Elsie rejoined them. "That took longer then I thought it would." She studied the woman... was she shaking? "Elsie?" And then she blinked, even more confused when Chris suddenly said all seven of the words one does not say in polite company as he got up and led her back to their chairs. Which was when Elsie collapsed into his arms, sobbing hysterically.

Chris ignored the six of them as he gently soothed her, holding Elsie in an embrace. "Shhh... deep breaths, Elsie. Shut it all out... breaths. In and out..." For a couple of minutes, all was silent as her sobs tapered off. When she'd been silent for long enough, he asked. "Was it bad?"

"No," Elsie told him from the depths of his embrace, her voice tired. "Just... let my guard down and didn't notice it until after she left. Was completely focused on Neesta until then."

"Ah."

"Don't wanna move now."

"Not going to make you." Chris looked at Mara, still watching them with concern. "Sorry. Didn't mean to make a scene like that. It's just that..."

Mara shook her head. "You don't need to explain or apologize." So that's what Elsie had meant by not wanting to cause a scene... she'd wondered about that for a while.

Han looked down at his tray, then picked up a fork. If the woman could do whatever it was that she'd done to make her come apart at the seems, then he at least eat something. So he did.

Luke glanced at Han, noticing the sudden resolve to eat. Good. "So what brings you to Coruscant, Widia?"

"Samir had a question to ask of Renna and I wanted to see the kids." Widia smiled at him. "Calls over the holonet just aren't the same thing, you know?"

Luke nodded. "I know. So... did..."

"Yes," Renna told him. "He did. And we are. And we're planning our own wedding, thank you."

Mara laughed as Han blinked up at them. "Right... sure you don't want just a little help?"

"Saw yours in a recording after I got back from the southern hemisphere, Mara. No."

"It wasn't that bad, Renna."

Renna rolled her eyes. "I just meant that-"

"You want to plan it?"

"Yes."

"Could you stand some help eventually?"

Renna smiled as she felt Samir squeeze her hand. "I guess so. We'll talk about that later, though."

That worked for her. She turned her attention back to Han... who amazingly looked like he wanted to laugh. "Feel a little better now?"

Han nodded. "Yes." Somehow, the silly talk about wedding planning made most of his tension evaporate. Had he really been that tense?

"Well, good."

Widia, still not understanding what the matter was with Elsie, was frowning. "Um... Mara? What happened to her?" She motioned to the woman in Chris's arms.

"I can speak for myself, Mara," Elsie told her before Mara could speak. Mara nodded and let her go ahead. "This is a hospital and to talk to Neesta, I had to show her something. That meant I had to lower my defenses, because of what she is. When she left, I had nothing to focus on to bring it back under control. Simple, really." She smiled wanly at Renna. "Congrats, by the way. Nice to know that two good things happened today."

Renna frowned, completely missing Mara's glare at Elsie. "Two?"

Elsie winked at Luke, who had to resist a chuckle as he put a restraining hand on Mara's shoulder. "Not my story to tell. But yes... two."

Mara turned to look at Luke and found him smiling back at her. If nothing else, the reminder was nice, even if now still wasn't the time.

Beside them and listening as he's returned to eating, Han understood. Two things... and the other one had to do with his brother-in-law's wife glaring at Elsie murderously. And with Luke's delighted expression. He'd totally be asking both of them in private later. 

* * *

><p>She awoke slowly, as if a sheet of moss were slowly being lifted off and the blackness receded. For half a second as she opened her eyes, Leia had a strong sense of déjà vu as she saw two of the most important men in her life camped out on either side of her bed. She glanced around, expecting to find a third person, and finding no one else, she blinked in confusion. Where was Mara?<p>

Then, like a tidal wave was crashing over her, she remembered the accident, and the sound of a speeder landing much too close. Taking a few deep breaths, Leia calmed herself down. Or tried to... it was over now, and that was what counted.

A hand closed over hers and Leia looked up to find Han looking back at her, concerned. "Hi."

"Hey," he said. "Good to see you awake. How do you feel?"

"Sore." She motioned to Luke, dozing in the other chair. "Think we should wake him?"

"Nah. We've all had a long day or two."

"...or two?"

"The accident was yesterday, Leia."

That made sense. "I was out for twenty-four hours?"

"Luke used a Force thing to make you sleep. And heal, too, I think." Han shook his head, trying to think of a way to phrase it right. "He didn't explain what that was, exactly."

Leia felt like laughing as she squeezed his hand. That was all she needed to know right now. "Stay?"

"Of course."

"And the children?"

Han shook his head. "Don't worry about that. Mara and her mother and Renna are watching 'em for now."

"Did you eat?"

"You really think Luke would let me not eat anything? Of course I did."

Leia yawned, satisfied. "Good. Glad to hear it. Going to sleep again now."

Han squeezed her hand carefully and she closed her eyes, drifting off into dreamland. He watched over her for a long while afterward. 


	5. Chapter 5

Han wasn't surprised to find Luke seated at Leia's bedside, reading a datapad while she slept. Not at all. He was surprised that Mara wasn't with him, though. Taking a deep breath, he pulled another chair over and sat down. "Hi."

Luke glanced up from the datapad. "Hi yourself, Han."

Han nodded to his sleeping wife. "She wake up again?"

"No."

Then they lapsed into comfortable silence for a few minutes as Luke continued to read the datapad. Finally, Han sighed. "I wasn't going to ask, but... is something going on? With Mara? That she doesn't want to talk about yet?"

Luke nodded slowly. "Yes."

"Thought so. She didn't make you wear something strange again, did she?"

Luke paused in his reading and turned to stare at him. "No, she didn't. In fact, she gave me a floral arrangement."

"For what?" Leia asked suddenly, surprising them both.

Han smiled at her. "You're going to be an aunt again."

Leia blinked in confusion for a moment before a smile spread across her lips. "Oh."

Luke returned the smile, but shook his head. "Act surprised when Mara tells you, all right?"

Leia looked from him, to Han, and back again. "I think we can do that."

"Good." 

* * *

><p>Elsie had just poured her first cup of coffee when she felt it. Another seer. Close. "You know... it's rude to sneak up on people like that."<p>

Dawn chuckled from behind her. "And here I thought you'd actually drink that in your sleep, Dusty."

Elsie sighed and turned to look at her. "Chris let you in?"

Dawn studied her for a long moment, expression carefully schooled to be blank. "Somehow, I don't think he minded leaving this morning. What did you say to him last night? Or it could just be the fact that Running Moon doesn't pull strings to get me here, sitting in your kitchen for no reason."

Elsie sat down across from her, took a sip. "He popped into my dream by accident, I threatened him with karaoke. Haven't spoken to him yet today. Still might look into finding a bar to embarrass ourselves at. Might be fun."

Dawn studied her some more. "Right. You popped into a meeting Running Moon was having, specifically to talk to her. She knew it was more than what you said, because she knows you. She asked me to come here... why? What happened?"

"I had a bad day. Can we just leave it at that?"

"No."

Elsie set the coffee cup aside, wanting very much to be anywhere else. "I witnessed an accident I could not prevent, Dawn. That's all."

"Uh-huh. That's not the vibe Running Moon got. Her wording was more 'Dawn, she was acting like she was sixteen again. Fix it, please!' And something about a ghost being grounded, whatever that means."

"I was not that bad." She glanced at Dawn, noting the incredulous expression. "What?"

"You were so. Starting with rescuing an unidentified coma patient out of the Hope Memorial Neuro-ICU based on a vision... and a promise to said unidentified coma patient, and ending with you at a wedding reception, being a human Oijua board." Dawn sat back and gazed at her cooly. Two could play at that game. "So it was more than witnessing an accident. If you try to lie to me again, do remember that I know more than thirty really annoying songs by heart, some of them Disney. Spill."

Elsie took a deep breath. It did nothing to settle her nerves. "You're right. It was more than the accident. Neesta was doing information relay to the kids who aren't supposed to know she exists, and got caught by her grandmother. Mara took exception to it, and I had to run interference because she would have said things to the kid that she would have regretted later."

"And?"

"The place I had to run interference in was a hospital, Dawn."

Dawn froze, again evaluating the woman in front of her. That explained some things. "Oh. That wasn't a senario I thought of when we were running you through your paces, was it?"

Elsie laughed a little. "Would you have predicted that I'd be pressed into service because an invisible child wanted to be helpful?"

"Point." Dawn leaned forward. "What kind of a meeting was Running Moon having, anyway? She didn't say."

"The kind where I knew but didn't know one of the participants and found out that Susan needs to think about what she's wearing when going into the field undercover. Orange does not inconspicuos make."

Dawn laughed. "I'll bet it doesn't. Was it anything we should be worried about now?"

"No." She paused, took a sip of her caf... "Maybe. It depends." 

* * *

><p>Renna frowned as she stared at the list of things to do that her mother had handed her. "This isn't what I want. It's going to be a simple ceremony in your backyard."<p>

Widia smiled. "I know that, but..."

"Nothing fancy, Mother."

Widia sighed, sat back in her chair. "All right. Nothing too fancy... but just fancy enough for you. It's a special event, you know."

"I'm not going to win the no-frills argument, am I?"

"No. There will be frills." Widia smiled again, motioning to where Samir was talking to Luke and Mara in the living room. "I've been planning your wedding since he first turned up while you were ill and slept on the floor beside your bed."

Renna glanced over at her love, touched by her mother's sentiment. "That long, hmm?"

"So, you see... it's special."

"Alena's not pregnant again, is she?"

Widia paused, wondering where that had come from. "No, I don't think she is. Why?"

"The last time there was a special event in this family, she gave birth in the guest room." She glanced at her mother to find her frowning. "What?"

"You slept through it."

"So?"

* * *

><p>Elsewhere...<p>

* * *

><p>"Wow, it's really colorful in here."<p>

At the sound of the young voice, Diana spun to find a little girl looking around in fascination. She couldn't have been more than five or six years old and was wearing a very plain brown jumpsuit. "Oh. Hello. Can I help you?"

The girl smiled. "Nope! Just visiting!" Then she winced as a hand clamped down on her shoulder. "Nuts."

"You know the rules, Princess," a woman wearing orange scrubs told her. Diana briefly wondered where they'd come from. No one had tried to access the system since Charlie Lippincott had wandered in here to probe it! "Stop trying to bend them and you'll get ungrounded a little sooner."

"But Diana isn't alive!"

"I'm not?" Diana wondered out loud. Sure, she'd lost her body, but...

The woman sighed. "She means figuratively. Not literally."

"Oh."

"And really, little one, she may be a ghost in her own right, but that kind of logic is what got you grounded in the first place."

Diana watched as the little girl and the woman vanished together into nothingness, then shook her head slowly. Of all the things to happen to her since she'd become merged with a computer, that had to be one of the stranger. "I wonder what Alex would say if I told him a little girl and a woman wearing orange scrubs visited me and left with no explanation other than rule bending?" Shrugging, Diana returned to her multitasking existence, humming all the while. 


	6. Chapter 6

Two months later...

* * *

><p>They'd been sifting through evidence in the Industrial District warehouse for the better part of three hours when she stumbled across something disturbingly familiar: a device with a power pack that had a Sith-like sigil on it, with paddles attached by a cord. "This is a Force Detector... I think. Never seen one outside of the written word before."<p>

Her partner sighed. "Outside of the written word? Elsie, really."

"Well, I didn't think it would be prudent to ask Master Skywalker to have a look at salvaged equipment he doesn't like to use in favor of getting thrown across a room by instinctive reactions. So no, I've never seen one of these things before for real." Elsie studied the sigil, then shook her head. "And it's Sith leftovers, too. Great."

"You're sure?" Darvis asked.

"Unless that's the seal for the Old Republic, sure." She glanced around the warehouse, noted Neesta and Chris chatting while he picked his way through assorted, hopefully non-lethal, junk, and then returned her attention to studying the device. It was giving her the heebee jeebees. "What I wouldn't give for... oh wait. We can get one of those here in a snap."

"One what?"

"An Old Republic Jedi." At his raised eyebrow, Elsie sighed again. "It's not as ludicrous as it sounds, and you know two. They're your parents."

"Wrong order."

"True." She edged closer and let her senses roll against it just slightly. "Huh... just an inert powerpack, then." She brushed against it again... and had no warning when the room filled with a bright light that knocked her into Darvis, causing him to stumble and turn around with her in his arms. As soon as the flash had appeared, it was gone, and she was left staring at his chest. "Ow." Looking up, she noticed he was frowning at something behind her. "Sorry."

"Elsie?"

"What?"

"Where did that girl come from?"

She blinked up at him, not understanding for a long, long moment. And then... "Girl?"

"Wearing a brown jumpsuit, staring at her hands?"

Elsie pushed herself out of his arms and turned to find Neesta... not translucent or glowing, and staring at her hands in shock. "Chris! Catch her!"

Chris looked away from Neesta, to stare at his wife. "What? Why?" His answer came five seconds later when Neesta screamed and passed out, and he nearly didn't manage to catch her as she fell. "Oh!"

Elsie scrambled over to the both of them, Darvis on her heels. Then she blinked and realized something was missing. Ordinarily, she'd have felt all three of them with her psy-senses... and right now, everything felt blank. Hollow. "Okay, so it wasn't inert. Damn."

Darvis frowned. "I don't understand. She wasn't here before. Where did she come from? And who is she?"

Elsie ignored him as she did a basic exam on the normally-invisible child, checked Chris over, and then gave Darvis a once-over. "If what I think just happened did, you'll probably be having a migraine later, Darvis. As for the kid here... she was here before, you just couldn't see her. This is Neesta. And she passed out due to the shock of suddenly being solid for the first time, ever. And, seriously, I'm glad she didn't have an escort today."

"Why?" Chris wondered.

"You want to explain Anakin Skywalker suddenly alive when he's dead? Or Ailee? Or Biggs? Or Master Yoda? Or that redheaded woman who Neesta calls "Great-Great Grandma" but I'm sure is older than that?"

"Good point." Chris glanced up at Darvis with a smirk. "Although... it might have been interesting to have Ailee around..."

Elsie snorted, unable to control her laughter. She looked at Darvis, knowing he was confused. "Long story."

"Oh?"

"Oh yeah."

Just then the little girl started to squirm in Chris's arms, and woke up. She blinked up at him in momentary confusion, then looked at Elsie. "This is weird. Is he really holding me?"

Elsie smiled at her. "He really is, Little Needle."

"How?"

"Don't know the how or why yet. Chris, you wouldn't by any chance also be psy-blind right now too, would you?"

Chris stared at Elsie, wondering why she'd even ask. And then he realized he was, at that. "Well... yes."

"Thought so. Weird side effect for a supposed Force Detector." She stood up, motioned for Chris to get up, and took Neesta's hand firmly. "Let's take you to Coruscant Medical, hmmm? Iris is just going to love this."

"Why not Momma?"

"I'm sure she will, too."

* * *

><p>Iris entered the waiting area with a clipboard just in time to see Darvis and two of his three partners enter with a little girl she'd never seen before. One wearing a brown shipsuit, with red-blonde hair that reminded her of someone, but she wasn't sure who. She frowned at them as Elsie smiled. "Hello."<p>

"We had sort of a problem," Elsie told her. "One that shouldn't be explained in a waiting room where there are prying ears."

Iris blinked, startled at that pronouncement, as Elsie wasn't exactly known for her confidentiality enforcement. Whatever was going on... "Right. This way." Iris led them through the door she'd just come out of, handed the clipboard off to another nurse, and escorted them to a room. "Now. Explain."

Elsie lifted the child, who couldn't have been more than six or seven, onto the gurney in the room. "This is Neesta Skywalker. Until 45 minutes ago, she was translucent. I want her examined... and Darvis, too, because I know Chris and I were affected by the thing overloading, and Lord only knows what it would have done to a potential Jedi if it can made a Force Ghost solid."

Darvis startled at hearing Neesta's last name. "Wait a minute. They don't have a daughter that old!" He winced when Elsie spun and whapped him on the head. "Ow! What was that for?!"

"Tact. You need some. And it's better I do it than let Neesta find out she likes kicking people."

Iris ignored them as she bent down and really looked at Neesta, who looked back at her with wide eyes. Eyes that were innocent but knew too much. It explained a lot, and all at once, Iris knew who this was without anyone having to say it. Her apparent age was just right for it to make sense. "Hi. I'm Iris Dellona. I took care of your Momma when she was sick."

Neesta nodded enthusiastically. "She doesn't like Jello."

"No, no she doesn't."

"Can I have some?"

Iris chuckled. "Why don't we get a doctor in here, give you your wellness exam, and then see about that, hmm?"

"Okay."

Iris stood up, turned, and looked at Elsie. "Thank you."

Elsie smiled and watched as Iris left the little room, then sat on the bed next to Neesta to wait. "You might end up having your first ever experience with Immunizations, too, kiddo."

"What are immunizations?"

"Things that are unpleasant but help keep a person healthy."

"Oh."

Right then, Darvis groaned and leaned into the nearest wall. "Elsie, I thought you were kidding about the migraine!"

Elsie smiled serenely at him. "Bad?"

"Bad enough. What was that thing and why do I have a migraine? And how did you know?"

"Simple answer is that you should get some Jedi training. That's also how I knew. And I still think it was a Force Detector." She sighed. "I probably shouldn't have tried to psychically sense what it was for, because that's when the prolonged wacky flash happened."

"It felt weird," Neesta suddenly said. "Like it was pulling at me and was more than light. Then suddenly... no glow."

Elsie frowned at that description. "Really? I'll add that to the list of oddness, then." She reached into her subpocket and pulled out a pendant, put it on, and shrugged when Chris frowned at her. "What?"

"You're asking for trouble."

"No, I'm trying-"

Chris rolled his eyes at her. "Hospital. You. Badness. Not the time to wear an enhancing pendent and experiment, no matter how frustrated you are. Put it away." He stared at her until she reluctantly complied.

"Better?"

"Much."

"You two are weird," Darvis muttered.

"And yet you wanted us to stick around," Chris reminded him teasingly. "I've got Elsie's migraine medication if you want it."

Elsie sighed. "He's never used it before and it's not prescribed to him, Chris. And what I wouldn't give to have a version of Doctor Sato here to explain this situation..."

"Doctor Sato?" Neesta asked, curious. "Didn't Iris leave to get one?"

"Not what I meant, Neesta." Elsie paused and glanced at Chris. "Come to think of it, what did I miss while I was conked out for safety reasons?"

"You're just wondering that now?"

"Was too busy with other things before now."

"Ah. Not much, other than Dawn having a reading on the Captain, and a rift alert which we didn't get to go and help with."

Darvis frowned. "Conked out for safety reasons?"

"You have a headache from a dampening effect on your Force Sensitivity wearing off," Chris explained patiently. "Now imagine you're constantly open to psychic miasma everywhere you go, and you're in a place where a bunch of people were killed and there's a rift in space and time..." He motioned to Elsie, who was watching Neesta poke at the sheet on the gurney distractedly. "And you'd just come off of a ten year vacation. Think about it."

Darvis thought about it, then nodded. "Ah." He'd have said more, but Iris bustled back into the room right then, a man in a lab coat and scrubs following her. She glared at him. "What?"

"Out. Both of you. Elsie stays."

"Why does she get to stay?"

"Because Neesta knows her and is comfortable with her," Iris told him simply. "And last I checked, you're not the father."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Right. We'll be back in twenty minutes."

"Better be. He's next." Iris watched them go, then settled her gaze on Elsie. "All right. This is the doctor who checked Mara in that night. Tell him."

And as Elsie launched into a very long story involving ghosts at wedding receptions, hinky evidence in warehouses, and the events that led to them to being there, the doctor wondered if maybe she wasn't entirely sane...

* * *

><p>Mara opened their door to find a very pensive Elsie standing there, and Neesta at her side. It wasn't out of the ordinary to see them together... and then something caught her attention and she stared at Neesta and the child looked back at her longingly. "I must be seeing things. Elsie, explain why I can't see through her and she isn't glowing, please."<p>

"We had a small accident with a piece of evidence in an Industrial District warehouse," Elsie calmly explained, her tone slightly bored. "One moment everything was normal, the next, there was a big flash of light and Darvis was staring over my shoulder, wondering where the kid he didn't recognize had come from. And then Neesta screamed and fainted from sensory overload." She paused and looked down at the girl. "She's been a little subdued ever since."

"Touching things is weird," Neesta blurted. "And smells! Everything smells!"

Elsie blinked, surprised. Then she smiled, reminded of a long-ago conversation had on the subject of smelling things. At least now, she got to do that for herself with her nose, rather than her eyes. "Ah. Not subdued. Distracted."

"And I want toast!"

Elsie smiled at Mara, who was still staring at them both with wide eyes. "Can we come in and introduce her to food? Iris promised Jello, back at Coruscant Medical, and gave me one, but thought it'd be better for you to be there for it..."

Mara got down on her knees and opened her arms to her child. "Come here." And right there in the doorway of her home, Mara Jade Skywalker got to hold her oldest child for the first time. She closed her eyes, enjoyed the moment, and didn't miss the sound of a barely suppressed sniffle of emotion from above. After a minute or two, she pulled back and smiled at Neesta. "You really want toast and Jello?"

"Yes, Momma!"

Mara glanced up at Elsie. "Are you sure this is my daughter?"

Elsie frowned at her. "Please tell me you're kidding."

Mara laughed at Elsie's expression, and stood up, never letting go of Neesta's hand in the process. "Of course I am. To the kitchen with both of you, and then one of you can explain why this seems so common place."

Elsie snorted in laughter. "Hardly. I've just had to explain it one too many times today, and I think Iris pranked a doctor... that, or she really didn't like him and wanted to give him the weirdest case ever on purpose."

* * *

><p>Mara watched as Neesta ate the Iris-provided Jello with more relish than she'd ever seen from anyone. It made her wonder even more about this very sudden turn of events. "Good?"<p>

Neesta nodded as she set the empty cup down. "Yep! Toast now?"

"Let's see how well you handle the Jello first," Elsie muttered. They both looked questioningly at her. "What? She's never eaten before."

"But I'm hungry!" Neesta whined.

"And that's a good start," Elsie told her. She looked at Mara, who was frowning in thought. "And no, I don't know if it's permanent. Won't know that until I'm not psy-blind anymore. Which I really wish was sooner rather than later."

Mara stared at her, not having expected to hear that. "Psy-blind?"

"I was right on top of the thing when it flashed, trying to figure out if it was a worthless piece of junk or not. Darvis got a migraine when the dampening effect wore off, Neesta got a case of solidness, and Chris and I... got blinded psychically. Why this couldn't have happened at least once when I was a teenager, I'll never know. As it is, the thought of my mentor with an actual body is somewhat amusing." At Mara's incredulous expression, Elsie shrugged. "It did get mentioned that I often brought ghosts to dinner with me when I was young, right? Ariel was exaggerating, and it was one ghost. The same one. A lot."

"Oh."

"Running Moon is nice, Momma," Neesta spoke up. "You'd like her. Wears a strange beaded dress and odd shoes."

Elsie chuckled. "That, she does. Hopefully, she wasn't teaching you Sioux."

"Hanwei?" Neesta offered with a grin. "And no. Not much, anyway."

Mara frowned. "Han-what?"

"Translates very roughly as 'Mooney,'" Elsie supplied with a smirk.

Just then, Luke arrived carrying a shopping bag, which he set on the counter. "Mara, I brought-" He turned around and froze when he saw Neesta sitting at the table, blinked several times. "Uh..."

"It's a girl?" Elsie offered gently. "And I'll leave you three alone now and go check on Ben and Ri-Ri." So saying, she left the kitchen. She came back momentarily. "And Luke? She wants toast." Then she was gone again.

Luke blinked again, then looked at Mara. "Toast?"

Mara smiled. "Make some?"

"Oh. Right."

Mara watched as Luke set about making some toast, knowing how floored he was. She could feel the shock echoing off of him in waves. She glanced at Neesta. "Butter or jelly?"

"Both?" Neesta suggested in confusion. "Why is he shocked?"

"It's a lot to take in, Neesta," Mara told her as she stood up and moved to where her husband was staring at the toaster. She touched his arm, nodded towards the table. "Go and give her a hug. I'll do this."

"What's the toast for?" Luke wondered in confusion, suddenly realizing how odd the request was when it was actually getting towards dinner time.

"Neesta wanted it."

"Oh."

Mara watched him go, kneel down in front of their daughter, look her in the eye for a long moment, then he pulled her into a fierce embrace and Neesta squealed in delight. Maybe eventually, the sense of touch wouldn't be weird for her... the popping up of the toaster reminded Mara of the task at hand and she smiled at an idea. Both? All right...

Neesta ended up with quartered toast and three different varieties of spreads, and enjoyed every last one.


	7. Chapter 7

As Neesta munched on her toast, enjoying it thoroughly, she noticed both parents staring at her. Normally, she didn't mind it so much when people stared at her, or looked at her, or paid any kind of attention to her, but right now it was weird... and she knew exactly what to do about weirdness. Grinning, she concentrated and continued to eat her toast. She had been having Jedi lessons with Master Yoda, and he tended to hit her on her intangible shins for misbehaving, and he wasn't here right now...

Mara suddenly realized her chair was floating and looked to Luke to find him rising into the air as well, and had to laugh at the absurdity of it. "All right, Little Needle. You've made your point. Put us down now." She did. "You could have just said something."

Neesta finished her toast and shook her head. "Too simple." Then she took a deep breath and looked at her father. "That was as hard as touching was before. Sort of."

Luke blinked at her, suddenly realizing he was staring. He couldn't help it, though... and for some reason, it felt like someone should have been poking at him with a walking stick for not thinking of it in terms of the Force. His daughter was sitting in their kitchen, enjoying toast... never mind that she hadn't actually been born alive, here she was. "I believe it. Remind me to tell you about trying to lift my X-Wing out of a swamp sometime."

Neesta giggled. "Don't have to! Master Yoda told me!"

Luke glanced at Mara, who was looking at him funny. "That explains how she could lift us into the air. Training."

"Learned a lot while I was grounded," Neesta told him. "And Grandma and Grandpa say hello."

"Getting your X-Wing out of a swamp?" Mara wondered.

"Couldn't."

"Oh." Mara suddenly realized they were missing a person, and glanced toward the door leading to the living room. "It doesn't really take that long to check on two children, does it?"

"It does if one or two of them are awake," Luke reminded her.

"Good point." Mara returned her attention to Neesta, smiling. "That reminds me. Come here."

"Why?"

"Just come here." Neesta circled the table and Mara pulled her close, lead her hand to her abdomen. "You've been away so long, I didn't get a chance to tell you yet."

Neesta blinked at the sensation under her hand... was that? She'd felt it before, with Ben and Ri-Ri, but this... "Wow."

Mara smiled at Luke over Neesta's head. "Very wow."

Luke suddenly frowned. "I wonder how we're going to explain this to Han and Leia?"

Mara stared at him while Neesta froze in her arms. "You're right."

"I get to meet Aunt Leia and Uncle Han!" Neesta said with enthusiasm, as if having just realized the advantages of her situation. "And not get grounded for spending time with people my own age!"

They both stared at her, not having thought of it that way. For them, it was trying to explain the impossible. For her... not so much. Mara nodded slowly. "True. How do you think we should tell them, hmmm?"

Neesta frowned. "The truth?"

"What, that Elsie messed with a piece of equipment and shouldn't have?"

"Magic Elf and mice making wishes, Momma," Neesta reminded her with a grin. "Anything is possible to explain, if you try really hard."

Now Luke had to laugh at the reminder. "Ah. I'd nearly forgotten about that."

"You weren't shopping for a basinette," Mara told him. "You missed the giant avian trying to pass himself off as a waiter. And really... it's not like they haven't heard her name before."

"I didn't miss the man in a lab coat screaming his head off about not being an obstetrician," Luke pointed out.

Neesta giggled suddenly, drawing their attention back to her. "There was more than that! And Dot gave me some pointers about clothing that I still don't get. I like brown!"

Elsie came back into the kitchen just then, Leia following her. "I took the liberty of answering your door, and I'll be leaving now as I have overstayed my welcome, and Mara, I'll get a firm answer just as soon as I can... you know, feel. Oh, and here..." Here, Elsie pulled a manila envelope out of thin air. "You'll be needing this if she's solid. It's good to have an identity, and I did that months ago, just in case."

Mara took the think envelope, blinking in surprise at the speed Elsie had delivered all of that in. "You don't have to go, you know."

"If I don't go, Chris'll be turning up looking for me. It's not just about overstaying my welcome."

"Ah. Thank you, for this."

Leia watched the woman excuse herself from the kitchen, heard the front door open and close, and then turned to look at Mara. "What was that..." Her gaze fell to Neesta, who was looking at her with wide eyes. "Oh. Hello."

Mara smiled. "That was about oddness not quite on the level of giant avians trying to pass themselves off as waiters. Leia, allow me to introduce you to Neesta, our daughter."

Neesta waved. "Hi!"

Leia pulled up a chair and sat down next to Neesta. "So you're the mystery person I saw right after the accident two months ago, hmm? It's nice to finally meet you, Neesta."

Luke blinked. "You saw her?"

"I wasn't sure what I saw until now. There was pain, and..." Leia shrugged.

Neesta ducked her head, embarrassed. "I was visiting for Jaina and Jacen. Got in trouble."

Leia smiled and raised her chin. "Thank you."

"How are you taking this so well?" Mara wondered.

"We talked, remember? During your hospitalization?" When Mara nodded, Leia smiled again. "How can I not understand what this means to you, after all you've been through? I get it, Mara."

"Am I still in trouble for it?" Neesta asked plainitively, reminding them that there was something that still needed to be addressed. "For visiting?"

Now Mara pulled a chair over, seated herself on Neesta's other side. "No. You never were, really."

"Sure felt like I was! I couldn't even visit Diana without Ailee calling me on it! And she's not really alive!"

The oddness of that statement caused all three adults to laugh, and that's when Ben joined them in the kitchen, saw Neesta sitting at the table between his mother and his aunt, and asked her if she wanted to play. Neesta looked up at her mother. "Can I?"

Mara smiled down at her. "Of course you can."

"Yay!"

Leia watched the little girl run out of the room with Ben, smiled, and looked at her brother. "Busy day, hmmm?"

Luke smiled back. "Still getting used to it ourselves. It's hard not to think of her as a frequent visitor that the kids aren't supposed to know exists."

"That was why Widia grounded her," Mara muttered. "Something we'll have to spend time making up for, I think. Among other things."

Leia glanced at the grocery bag, still on the counter. "Was one of you going to start dinner?"

"Dinner?" Luke asked, then he followed her pointed gaze to the grocery bag. "Oh. Right. Dinner. Which we should have started already, and what time is it?"

Leia laid a calming hand on his arm. "Calm down, Luke. I told Han to start cooking before I headed over here to find out why you were so shocked."

"And I've already got the rolls in the oven," Mara added, glancing at her wrist chrono. "If Han is doing half the cooking for this... oh Force."

"What?" Luke wondered.

"It's Renna's rehearsal dinner! And we've suddenly got an extra child! And Elsie... pulled this out of thin air." Mara fingered the thick envelope currently laying on the table. "Speaking of people not acting normally... she wasn't."

Leia rolled her eyes and stood up. "Alright... what haven't you done yet?"

Mara smiled, and moved to take the rolls out of the oven. "Wanna help me peel tubers?"

"Would love to."

"Okay, then. Luke, go see how the little ones are fairing, okay?"

He did.


	8. Chapter 8

When Han arrived, it was with a cart of food in hand, and three kids in tow. He directed them to the play room and wheeled the cart past Luke, who was staring at him dubiously. "Good evening."

Luke blinked. "Hi."

Han motioned to the cart. "Everything all right?"

"That depends on if I snag my shirt on a lecturn tomorrow or not, or if something else that's weird happens in it's place. Until then... mostly yes."

Jaina pulled on Han's sleeve. "What's he mean by that, Dad?"

Han glanced down at her for a moment. "Good question." Now that he was looking down, he noticed she was holding a package. "Where'd you get that?"

"Elsie handed it to me when we passed her on our way here." Jaina smiled as she handed it to her uncle. "She said not to open it in front of Little Needle, or she may never take it off. Whatever that means."

Luke stared Jaina for a long moment. "Right. Thank you. Go play with your brothers, and... oh."

"What?" Jaina asked, knowing he didn't pause like that for no reason.

"It's a surprise. Go play."

Han watched her go for a long moment before looking at his brother-in-law again, only to find him staring at the package in his hands. "All right, Luke. What's going on?"

"We have an extra child. This is for her."

"What? Start making sense now, please."

"When it starts making sense, Neesta will probably be too big to fit in whatever is in this box."

"Who is Neesta?" Though the name sounded vaguely familiar, Han was pretty sure he'd never heard of anyone with that name before. "And why would Elsie be giving her anything?"

Luke blinked again, shook himself slightly, and finally looked at the cart with the food on it in warming trays. "It's a long story. How about we get the cart to the kitchen before Renna, Samir, and Widia get here?"

"So long as you tell some of that story. I'm curious now."

"And as for why Elsie would be giving her anything... I think it's because, in a way, she's been babysitting Neesta for a long time. Which is weird, because how does one babysit a ghost?"

"Neesta is a ghost?"

"Not now. No... now, she's in there, playing with the twins, Ben, and Anakin." He shook his head when Han stared at him again. "No, don't ask. Like I said, it doesn't make any sense yet."

"This is one of those weird Force things, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

* * *

><p>Mara looked up as Luke entered the kitchen with Han and a cart laden with food, and took in the fact that her brother-in-law had one of the more stunned expressions on his face that she'd ever seen anyone wear. "So which part did you tell him?"<p>

"The part Elsie didn't let me get out of," Luke replied as he handed a package to her. "According to Jaina, this is for Neesta, and Elsie thinks she make never take it off once she sees it, whatever it is."

Mara took the box from him, saw the folded note attached to it, and pulled the note off to read it.

"Mara, this is for Neesta, and I would have handed it to you before I left the apartment, but I got distracted. Seriously, she loves flowers, but has never smelled any before, and I think it would be better served for Neesta to have it as a first present she's ever gotten in the flesh which did not involve her name during your wedding reception, than what I originally intended it for. With that in mind, here. Open.  
>-Elsie"<p>

Mara frowned and moved to set the box down on the table. She opened it, and found a floral dress and a matching hooded robe, and couldn't help but stare in fascination. "Oh. I can see why Elsie thinks Neesta might never want to take it off!" She held up the robe for Han to see. "Remind you of anything?"

"Yes," Han told her after a moment of staring at the garment. "Yours. Or, rather... Luke's."

Mara folded the garments up and put them back in the box, and put the lid back on. "Funny. Luke, could you go put this in our bedroom, and then introduce Han to Neesta? I'm sure the twins and Anakin will have gotten over the shock by now."

Leia watched them go for a long moment. "That... is really odd."

"Almost as odd as this day," Mara agreed. "Almost."

* * *

><p>Mara opened the door to find her mother, sister, and future brother-in-law standing there in varying states of amusement. "Hi. How did the comm with Alena go?"<p>

Renna rolled her eyes. "I managed to talk her out of a state televised formal ceremony by reminding her of what yours looked like over the holonet."

Mara nodded somberly as she let the three of them in and closed the door. "I'm glad, though you don't know the half of it. Something odd happened today."

Samir frowned at her. "Odd how?" He was answered when someone small latched themselves onto Widia's leg with a cry of "Grandma!"

Mara smiled while Widia regained her balance and got a good look at just who it was hugging her leg. "Well... this odd. Neesta, I realize you're happy to see everybody and to touch them, but really."

Neesta peered up at Widia. "I'm not grounded for this, am I?"

Widia pried the little girl off of her leg and bent down. Looking at her, she couldn't help but smile. "No, child."

Neesta stared at her, then slowly reached up touch her grandmother's cheek. "Why are you crying?"

"Happy tears." Widia broke her gaze with Neesta to look up at Mara in question.

Mara shook her head. "Not sure how it happened. Just that it did."

"Ah."

* * *

><p>Two hours and a fully marked up white board later, and Elsie had yet to figure out just what had happened in that warehouse. It didn't matter how she looked at it, it just wasn't making any sense at all. None. A tentative knock on a wall, and she glanced in the direction of the noise to find Rose staring at her with wide eyes. "Hi. Glad you could make it."<p>

Her team leader entered the room and peered at the white board, and Elsie knew she was probably feeling déjà vu from the time she'd cooped herself up in the basement and pieced things together with notes and diagrams on multiple white boards for a week straight. "Okay. Explain, or I'll go get Jill and haul her across dimensions for a therapy session."

"I'm trying to figure out how a ghost could end up with a body," Elsie explained to her team co-leader patiently. "Which is why I called you, oh hallowed mistress of magic-like energy. You've had experience with something like this, even if it was an accident."

"A what ended up with a... huh?"

"Exactly."

Rose sighed and came closer to study the white board, folding her arms in thought as she did so. "Hmmm... I know of one way it could happen, but that involves casting the Prakentocha, which nobody here did." She glanced at Elsie, who was looking at her funny. "You know, the spell that went awry and killed people for three thousand or so years before it finally got solved? The energy release was what caused our suddenly re-solidified ghost thing. Those that wanted to live again, got to."

Elsie nodded. "Oh. Well, there was a flash. Does that constitute an energy release, if it also drained energy from people in the area at the same time?"

Rose studied the white board again, chewing on her lower lip in thought. "Was there anything special about... oh wait. There had to be something special about it. I need to see that warehouse!"

"If it helps, there was a Force Detector there, too."

"Where is it now?"

"Evidence lockup."

"I'll be needing to take a look at that thing, too." Rose motioned to the white board. "You know, you are really scary when you're on a mission of discovery."

"Funny."

"Thought it was."

* * *

><p>The warehouse was as non-descript as it was creepy, Rose decided as she looked around. There wasn't much to look at, aside from what appeared to be really old equipment covered with far too much dust and various piles of debris. On the surface of things, she found nothing to explain what had happened here. "So where was the kid standing?"<p>

Elsie led her to the spot. "Here. Darvis and I were over there, and Chris was shifting through this pile here, chatting with her." At Rose's quirked eyebrow, Elsie shrugged. "I'm not sure when he started seeing ghosts on his own, but he is now."

"It only took him... what? Forty years?"

"Say that in his presence, he might take offense."

"True." Rose paused and turned in a circle, taking in everything from where 'the kid' had been standing. "Where was the device in relation to her?"

"Over there with me."

"Walk there and show me." Elsie did, and Rose frowned in thought. That was rather far... "And did you feel anything strange when you arrived here?"

"Strange how?"

"That was out of place in an ordinary warehouse."

Elsie nodded slowly. "Actually... the air was humming. Kinda like it does on Elidar, but weaker. I didn't think about it then, but that's probably because I was focused on the task at hand, and Darvis isn't Adam." At Rose's frown, she sighed. "He doesn't always accept the weird and the strange, even though... well, you know. The living on Coruscant, is the son of two Jedi thing. The closest he's been to a ghostly incident that he's aware of was the wedding reception."

Rose chuckled. "Ah. Humming like Elidar, huh?"

"Yeah." Elsie blinked when Rose crouched down, closed her eyes, and startled mumbling under her breath for a moment or two. When Rose opened her eyes and stood back up, she was biting her lower lip again and staring at Elsie. "What?"

"The three of you were very lucky," Rose muttered. "Very. This place is on a planetary ley-line nexus ground star, and you're lucky all it did was drain you."

"Huh?"

"You're the one who said it was like Elidar in that the air hummed. That's why Elidar humms."

"It's on a ley line nexus?" She knew what one of those was, knew it was the reason for alien invasions of Earth in a few other dimensions, but to be standing on one, feel it, and not realize what it was? Dumb! Very, very dumb!

"Oh yes."

"What does that have to do with being lucky? Or a ghost ending up with body when technically she's never had one before that she remembers?!"

Rose valiently fought the urge to roll her eyes at how stupid that sounded. "The same way the Prakentocha works. Life to energy, energy to life."

"Rose!"

"Okay... the thing you currently have in evidence was a Force doohickey, right? With odd stones that glow in contact with the Force sensitive? Am I warm?"

"Yes. Very."

"And there was a flash or something, after which you and Chris were rendered psychically blind?"

"Yes."

Rose sighed. "There's your answer. An energy release, a massive one on the level of a small-scale Prackentocha. Only without the spell debacle which will forever be giving Jelin the bad karma, and nobody died, a fact which the three of you are very lucky. Poof, ghost with a body."

Elsie paused and shook her head. "It can't be that simple."

"It wasn't. I'm just explaining it in terms you understand." Rose smirked at her for a long, long moment. "That also means I now get to say something to you."

"Oh?"

"Yep! Congratulations, it's a girl!"

"But I didn't-"

"Your energy, combined with two men? Suddenly solid kid? Sounds like it to me!"

Elsie heaved a very put-upon sigh as she led Rose from the warehouse. Of all the crazy insinuations to make, that she'd done it with Darvis and Chris at the same time! It just boggled her, the places Rose's mind went sometimes... "You ever tell anyone other than Carnegie that, I'll find some way to embarrass you to the moon and back, Rose Vernen-Sitner. Don't think I won't!"

Rose rolled her eyes at the threat. "Like I'm going to do that. Unlike certain team members, I'd like to think I have good sense not to spread rumors that are unfounded. So do I get to meet the former Casper?"

"You want to?"

"Definitely. Whose kid is it, by the way?"

Elsie smirked. "Remember the wedding we ended up at that the rest of you missed when we went on that emergency call?"

"Yes..."

"It's theirs." Elsie turned and looked at her as they got to the air speeder. "And no, you don't get to ask for Luke or Mara's autograph."

"Was I going to?"

"Ranko did."

Rose suddenly frowned in thought and pulled out a pad of paper that had 'Merdin and Merkye's Spell Mistakes Which Need Correcting' written across the top and consulted it. "Hang on. Which dimension is this?"

"Why?"

"Because I think I've been here before, and I won't be able to keep a straight face if I have." Elsie told her, and Rose found the entry she was looking for, and nodded in satisfaction. "Nope. Wasn't here. Good." She glanced at Elsie, who was frowning at her. "Long story involving a prank gone awry. Had to correct it. Involved a Luke Skywalker, but not this one."

"Ah. Was he the one being pranked?"

"No, he was the recipient of Merdin being a moron and forgetting about cause and effect."

"You're not going to tell me about it, are you?"

"No. Though I'm sure you'd find it hysterical."

Elsie stared at the pad of paper. "You... had to correct lots of mistakes?"

"Yes, and some of them were even funny."

"You wouldn't happen to know when the blindness will lift, would you?"

Rose simply smiled at her as they got in the speeder. "No." But if what she'd seen from Elsie so far was anything to go by, she was glad Chris had packed a medical kit complete with sedatives before leaving home... and if she was right and it was a severe energy drain that could have killed a normal person, then sleep was the only way to get the energy back to normal. It also explained why Elsie was manic enough to try to figure something like this out on a white board with multiple colored markers. "I would say to enjoy it while it lasts, but I know you too well. You don't do normal."

"There was a time when I craved it."

"But you never really wanted it."

"No. Not even when I was ignoring everybody for ten years in Greenland."

* * *

><p>At CPPF headquarters, Chris wasn't surprised when he got a text message from Rose saying he'd better be prepared for one heck of a week. He chuckled and sent one back to her.<p>

_Already thought about the sedatives, Blue Magic. Thank you. Where are you two?_

Her reply: _On our way to Skywalker/Jade apartment so I can meet the kid. Dusty said to tell you to head home and start dinner, as she missed lunch. So she hasn't yet made it to the stage where she's forgotten what food is._

_You joining us?_

_Of course._

Chris chuckled again, put the device away, and looked at Darvis, who was watching him and not trying to hide it. "So... you and Fan busy for dinner?"

"Can't say as we are, no."

"Good."

His communicator beeped at him again, and Chris looked to find that it was a message from Elsie: _Sweetie, be sure to tell Darvis that as of right now, I'm taking off the weirdness blinders where he's concerned. I could have gotten us all killed this morning because I was trying to protect him. That can not happen again. -Elsie_

Chris frowned in understanding, knowing there was going to be an explanation for that. He glanced at Darvis. "If you thought we were strange before? You don't know that half of it."

Darvis stared at him wryly. "We had a little girl appear out of thin air this morning. I hardly think it could get stranger than that."

If he hadn't been in the middle of a busy police precinct, Chris would have laughed in his face for a good fifteen minutes. "Oh yes! Oh yes it can!"

* * *

><p>When the door opened, Elsie smiled at Mara, who was holding a quiet Riana. "Hi. We're not interrupting anything, are we?"<p>

Mara glanced at Rose in confusion before looking at Elsie again. "No. What's up?"

"Figured out what happened and Rose wants to meet Neesta... in the flesh. Rose, this is Mara Jade Skywalker. Mara, this is Rose Vernen-Sitner, Blue Magic."

Mara blinked. "Blue Magic?"

Rose chuckled. "I know. There's two of us, and Red Magic refused to do extra-dimentional duty. Though, really, her title is Wild Magic, but that's a whole other story."

Mara stared at her. "And you're here for...?"

Elsie sighed. "Because I couldn't answer what happened in the warehouse this morning by myself. How was dinner?"

Mara stepped aside to allow them entry, then closed the door. "Dinner was good. They're still here, if you want to..."

Elsie shook her head. "No, we're not staying long. And... Rose?"

"Need to get a good look at her first before I can say one way or the other." Rose smiled at the baby in Mara's arms. "Who is this little one?"

Mara returned the smile. "This is Riana. I'll be right back."

* * *

><p>Widia frowned when Mara returned to the living room and handed Riana off to Leia, who took the baby with practiced ease. "Who was that?"<p>

"Elsie," Mara told her pleasantly, and tapped lovingly on Neesta's shoulder to get her attention away from the game the children were playing with colored sticks in the middle of the room. "Come on, Little Needle. Someone wants to meet you."

"But I've met Elsie," Neesta protested as she got up from the floor and took her mother's hand.

"Someone else."

"Oh."

Widia glanced at Renna, who shrugged and continued to watch as Jaina pulled another stick out of the pile triumphantly.

* * *

><p>When Neesta saw Rose, she smiled. "Hi!"<p>

Rose blinked and bent down to really look at her. "I didn't think Elsie meant you, when she said a ghost ended up with a body! Hello, Neesta!"

Mara stared as her daughter hugged the woman with enthusiasm, then she looked questioningly at Elsie. "They've met before?"

Elsie smiled. "She crossed dimensions to visit me more than once, so yes. Well, Rose? What do you think, now that you've seen her?"

Rose pulled back to look at Neesta with a practiced eye, mumbled words under her breath that Mara couldn't make out, and then blinked several times. Then she shook her head and looked again. "Wasn't expecting that. Couldn't be more permanent if we tried. Amazing."

"You mean..."

Rose hugged Neesta again and then stood up to look at Mara. "Barring severe injury and illness, and other unusual things occurring... I'd say you'll have her for a good long while. Congratulations."

"So I won't be walking through walls again anytime soon?"

Rose glanced down at Neesta, amused. "Nope. Disappointed?"

"Not if it means I get to touch things! And eat! And not get grounded!"

"Good. Because that's exactly what it means. Though you could end up grounded for normal things."

Neesta frowned. "Normal things? Like what?"

"No need to worry about that right now, all right?" Elsie interrupted them. "And we'll be going now. We've a dinner of our own to get to."

Mara blinked several times before reaching out to shake Rose's hand. "Thank you... but what happened to cause this?"

Rose paused and looked at Elsie, then shrugged. "Let's just say it was a happy accident where nobody died. And yes, that was a very real possibility. Elsie did something really dumb, the Force doohickey with special stones overloaded and caused a chain reaction, and Neesta came out the other side solid. It was a coincidence, all of it, and something got missed. And if I start explaining all the factors involved, we'll be here all night. Is that enough of an explanation?"

Mara nodded slowly. "I think it is, yes. Thank you again."

Rose nodded, opened the door, nodded to them both, and practically pushed Elsie out. "Like I said, we really have to be going now. Good night."

Mara was left staring after them as she moved to close the door. Then she looked down at Neesta, who had an odd look on her face. "Well?"

"I won't miss walking through walls, Momma."

Mara had to stifle a chuckle as she took Neesta's hand and led her back to the living room. She wouldn't miss her child walking through walls, either. It was good to be able to touch her and not see through her. They entered the living room and Neesta returned to the game. Luke smiled as Mara sat down next to him. "Hi."

"So what's the word?"

"They think it's permanent."

Luke nodded slowly before glancing over to where Renna and Samir were sitting with Widia. No one seemed to really mind this fact, either. "That's good."

"Who's winning?"

Han chuckled. "Jaina."

Mara nodded and settled in to watch as the kids played three more games with the jumbled colored sticks.


End file.
